1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to casino games and to casino games having bonusing features.
2. Background
Casino games are popular with the public and over the past decade many varieties of new casino games have been introduced. These new games are implemented in standalone gaming machines, in wide area networks and over the Internet. Casino bonusing games are also increasingly popular when placed in operation with underlying casino games such as, for example, slot machines. Such bonusing games not only attract players but provide additional gaming excitement.
Older, more traditional casino games and casino bonus games simply generate a random or pseudorandom result in a game round such as is found in a slot game. The only input from the player is to place a wager and then spin the reels. Occasionally, the player may be prompted pick an object (within a bonus game) but with no mathematical effect one way or the other. Other casino games and casino bonus games involve decision-making game rounds that receive inputs based on a player's skill, strategy, or even knowledge. In these games a player may receive a higher award based on his/her skill, knowledge and strategy. An example of a skill casino game is video poker.
A problem exists that while some players are very good using skill, knowledge, or strategy, other players are not. A need exists to inform players how to skillfully respond in the decision-making game rounds of such casino games. To do so on every game round, however, as some video poker machines do, is contrary to the very nature of such games. That is, players enjoy playing such games because they can exercise skill, strategy, knowledge and/or personal judgment. Constantly giving players this information would defeat the purpose of the game.
Furthermore, some games, that otherwise might make a good casino offering, are sufficiently complex that a large disparity exists between expert play and average play. To always give hints would again defeat the purpose of the game, but a need exists to provide hints to players either randomly in conjunction with the prevailing position of the game, or otherwise.
In British patent application GB 2 262 642 A, a game machine is disclosed wherein the display screen is used to provide “game hints” which occur transiently as a game proceeds and making suggestions to the player relevant to the actual state of the game. For example, the hint may be to “hold” a particular symbol. This reference briefly sets forth the limited use of hints in a fruit machine casino game. The fruit machine with the game hint feature described above does not improve players' long-term results. Such fruit machines generally use a form of “adaptive logic” wherein coin-in and coin-out is monitored over time and wherein odds/payouts of the fruit machine are proactively adjusted to achieve a target win percentage. Examples of adaptive logic fruit-machines in Great Britain are GB 2 185 612 A and GB 2 087 618 A. Any advantage gained by a player following a hint is to the detriment of future outcomes on the fruit machine. In other words, what the fruit machine “gives” it later “takes away” by altering other parameters of the fruit machine. While adaptive logic fruit machines are permitted in certain foreign jurisdictions such as Great Britain, they are not allowed in the United States. In the United States, the casino game operated with a random number generator must, over all play of the casino game, provide a known player expected return (or house advantage) and the casino game cannot proactively monitor performance and correspondingly adjust play parameters.
Hence, a need exists to fully provide hints, tips, or other such information for strategy and/or skill-based casino games on a random and surprise basis. A further need exists to provide the same, or even provide the correct answer, for knowledge-based casino games in which, for example, the player's knowledge is tested, via trivia, for money. A further need exists to provide such information only when hesitation exists on the part of the player. A need, therefore, exists to provide a hint feature in the underlying casino gaming machine and/or in the casino bonus game to aid the player in the play of a decision-making game round especially when a prevailing position exists. Finally, a need exists to provide within a game for players following hints a long term expected return greater than the long term expected return obtained in play of the casino game without providing the hints.